


One and the Same

by MyrtenasterRose



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Enemies to Lovers, Everything from 1x06 forward is no longer canon here, F/F, Naturally some angst, Or at least as slow as I can write, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2019-11-05 21:02:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17926301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyrtenasterRose/pseuds/MyrtenasterRose
Summary: [Canon deviant from 1x06] Even before Xadia split, humans and elves have never seen eye to eye. It's up to the current generation to put the animosity to rest as an old threat rises anew. Particularly, the fate of any and all Xadians (humans, elves, dragons, and the like) rests in the hands of two girls. One human, and one elf. [Raydia] [ON HIATUS UNTIL SEASON 3]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Again against my better judgement, I'm posting a story alongside another. Crime of Passion still gets my devotion, but I have been itching to post this. I have a weak will, okay?
> 
> Anyway, this story is canon deviant from 1x06. I also wrote this before season two aired, so things will be quite different from current canon. This fic is also just kinda coming to me as I write it at work, so I have no idea where it's going, what exactly is going to happen, or when and how it will end. Knowing me, you can expect some angst, and if I can finally manage to contain myself and do so, a slow burn.
> 
> On that note, this is also a Raydia fic, so there's your warning now. Flames of any kind regarding the ship will not be tolerated and will be deleted.
> 
> There's a few short chapters starting out, but they gradually get longer as the story progresses.

**I.**

 

Rayla was on the border of panicking as she struggled beneath the net she had found herself suddenly caught under. She watched on edge as a shadow cast over her, a pair of heavily worn boots all she could see from her position on her stomach.

"Never caught an elf before," a man taunted. "That was easier than I thought."

Rayla craned her neck to look up at her captor and immediately wished she hadn't upon seeing the dangerous glint in his eyes.

"W-Wait!" she exclaimed as he pulled her daggers from her belt, being extra careful to keep the blades from springing open and setting their owner free. "I-I'm not your enemy!"

"'Not my enemy?'" the man mocked as he kneeled before Rayla. "You kidnapped the princes! You assassinated their father—our king!"

"No!" Rayla claimed again. "I played no part in the attack, and Callum and Ezran are-!"

Her face was suddenly being painfully pushed into the earth as the man snarled above her.

"How dare you speak their names so casually!"

"They chose to follow me!" she bit out amongst all the dirt in her mouth. "We're friends!"

She was yanked roughly from the ground then and shoved up against a tree, the net still restricting her movement as she stared down the dark-skinned man from beneath.

"You watch your tongue,  _elf_ ," he spat venomously.

Rayla, perhaps against her better judgement, smirked before retorting, "Make me."

A hard punch to her jaw was her reward for her smart talk, and she cringed at the metallic taste that slowly started to fill her mouth. Still, she refused to back down or look away.

"If General Amaya didn't want you alive, I'd gladly put you down where you stand,  _cretin_."

Rayla seethed at the derogatory name, yet wisely chose to remain silent this time. Still, if looks could kill, Rayla was certain this thug would be dead ten times over by now.

"Now," the man spoke, reaching through the net to attempt to tie her wrists together with more rope, "where are the princes?"

"Bugger off."

The man's eyes flashed before his hand was around Rayla's throat and squeezing dangerously. She felt her horns carve bark from the tree as he hoisted her up the trunk until her toes were off the ground. Her hands came to claw helplessly at his, though with her size disadvantage, there was no way she would be able to wriggle out of his grasp. He laughed as he tightened his hold into a vice-grip, and Rayla felt her consciousness fading fast.

"Listen, you little bit-!"

"Rayla!" a new, young voice cried out then.

Startled, the man dropped Rayla to the ground as he spun to come face to face with his other mission objective.

"Your Highnesses," he greeted with a deep bow, "I was just dealing with your captor here. You're safe now, boys."

"She's not our captor!" Ezran immediately exclaimed, his eyes alight with fear as he watched Rayla devolve into a coughing fit. "She's our companion! She's the reason we've been kept safe all this time!"

Callum nodded before adding, "He's right. Elf or not, Rayla's our friend."

The man took a moment to glance between the princes and Rayla before grinning, a light alive in his eyes once more as he leveled it on the girl still gathering her bearings on the ground before him.

"They still don't know, do they?"

Rayla's heart instantly shot to her throat as she stared pleadingly up at him.

"No, please..!"

"How long did you think you could hide it from them?" His grin widened. "You're scared, aren't you? You know they'll hate you!"

"Shut up!" Rayla shouted as she tried to stand, only to crumple back to the ground as she was kneed in the gut.

"Rayla!"

"Stop it!"

"Boys, I'm afraid this  _monster_  has been lying to you all this time; posing as a comrade in hopes you'll forgive her for her crimes."

"What's he talking about, Rayla?" Callum asked, skeptically watching the man, yet knowing the terror in his friend's eyes meant something.

Rayla only shook her head, looking to Callum and Ezran desperately. "You need to go," she pleaded. "Just leave me and get to Xadia."

"But we need you!" Ezran cried, stepping from behind Callum and staring imploringly at the elf on the ground.

"No, you don't," Rayla consoled. "You're strong on your own, Ez, and with Callum at your side? You can do this."

"But...what will happen to you?"

She sighed and looked up at her captor, trying to hide the unease in her eyes. "What will happen to me?"

The man simply shrugged. "Probably throw you in the dungeon until General Amaya decides what to do with you."

Ezran and Callum gaped.

"Aunt Amaya...sent you?" Ezran sounded like he was about to dissolve into tears.

Callum looked deep in thought for a moment before exclaiming, "That must mean you're Corvus, Amaya's best tracker!"

"Congratulations, your Highness, you have correctly guessed my identity," Corvus replied dryly, not amused by all this stalling. "None of that changes the fact that my orders were to rescue the princes and detain the elf."

"But we don't need to be rescued!" Ezran butt in yet again.

"Ez, I got this," Callum spoke up calmly, taking a step forward. "Let me explain all this to our aunt; she'll surely have you stand down then," he addressed Corvus.

Corvus smirked. "That didn't seem to work the first time, now, did it? Besides, the general's already returned to the breach. That's why she sent me in her stead. Trust me," the glint returned yet again, "she would much rather be here disposing of this  _filth_  than standing on the edge of the world."

"I don't appreciate the way you talk about Rayla," Callum said next, continuing forward while discreetly reaching into his bag. "And as a crown prince of Katolis, I demand you let her go."

This time, Corvus just shrugged. "Very well."

Unsheathing a knife at his hip, he yanked Rayla up from the ground, swiftly beginning to cut the net that had remained on her this entire time. As he reached one of the last cuts, however, he smirked. Spinning suddenly, he wrapped his arm around Rayla's waist, the knife now pressed up against her neck.

Callum was ready though as he pulled out the primal stone, creating a familiar rune in the air quickly.

"Aspiro!"

Rayla had immediately dropped to the ground—stealthily cutting the rest of herself free as she did so—as soon as Corvus' hold slackened the slightest bit. While the tracker was busy trying to stay on his feet, Rayla leapt forward and out of the line of fire.

"Go! Run, now!" she shouted, pushing Callum and Ezran and following behind as they sprinted the opposite way.

They hadn't made it twenty feet before a pained cry from Rayla had them freezing.

"Rayla!"

"No!"

Rayla swayed where she stood, wide, unfocused eyes blinking at the tip of the arrowhead protruding from her shoulder. As she crumbled back to her knees, Corvus came up behind her, eyes stern and another arrow docked, the string pulled taught.

And aimed right at Rayla's head.

Callum and Ezran didn't dare move.

"Nice trick," Corvus quipped. "The next one will cost you her life, and I'm not one to want to disobey the general."

"C-Callum," Rayla spoke past the pain, "just t-take Ez and go."

"But you..." She could see the turmoil flashing in the boy's eyes; the way he was biting his lip in uncertainty, but tightening his grip on his bag all the same.

"I'll be okay," she attempted to convince him, Ezran, and herself. "This c-can't all have been for nothing."

Callum looked as though he hated himself as he slowly backed away. Rayla tried to flash him a confident smile, but couldn't guess how it turned out through the pain. She could now feel the blood trickling from her shoulder, and she brought her hand up to cover the wound, not daring to remove the arrow just yet.

"Ask to speak to the king," Callum told her as he began herding Ezran away, who was busy crying into Bait. "If you explain everything to him, I-I'm sure he'll let you go."

Rayla swallowed the knot in her throat and heard Corvus chuckle behind her, though he thankfully stayed quiet.

"O-Okay," she managed to croak.

Callum offered a shaky smile before turning his back to her and beginning to walk away.

"And Rayla," he said after stopping only a few feet, "once all this is over and done with, I promise we'll come for you."

A single tear made its way down her cheek at the sincerity in his voice, though he never turned back around.

"Y-Yeah..." Rayla said on a breath to his retreating form, the fear mounting inside her the further away they got.

When they could no longer be spotted, all was quiet in the small clearing.

"Well that was dramatic," Corvus huffed, "but now that we're alone again..."

Rayla didn't even see the blow coming. All she felt was a sharp pain in the base of her skull, and all she saw was the crippling darkness beckoning.


	2. Chapter 2

**II.**

 

She jerked awake with a gasp before immediately grunting in pain as she did so. Her shoulder was throbbing despite the fact that the rest of her left arm felt completely numb. Her eyes darted around her dark and dank surroundings as her anxiety flared. She was in a dungeon cell, her arms chained to the wall above her head as she sat quite awkwardly below them.

She started hyperventilating, tugging on the chains desperately until her wrists were red and her hands felt like they would pop off any second.

"Rayla," a smooth, familiar voice seemed to permeate through the wall next to her, "calm down. Swallow your fear."

Gulping down big breaths of air, Rayla forced herself to be quiescent in mind, body, and spirit. Still, small shivers wracked her form from lingering anxiety.

"R-Runaan?" she questioned meekly, too exhausted and scared to bother masking the fear still festering within her.

She heard a sigh before an answer.

"Yes, I'm afraid I find myself in the same predicament as you."

Rayla briefly wondered how the humans had managed to capture her leader before a question had her squirming.

"Did they hurt you?"

She looked to her left shoulder. The arrow had been pulled out, but the site left untreated. Dried blood crusted the wound, though she could tell the rest of it was still raw. Any small movement or disruption of the stale air around her had it flaring in pain; sometimes so badly that she had to swallow any noise. Coupled with the binding still on the same wrist and the cut circulation spreading, Rayla figured she wouldn't have a left arm for much longer.

Still, she answered, "No, they didn't."

The next question surprised her.

"Did they _hurt you_ , Rayla?"

Try as she might to bite back the sob, her voice still cracked as she admitted shamefully, "Y-Yes."

"You'll be alright," Runaan said, letting emotion leak into his voice that he reserved only for Rayla. "You're stronger than you think. Remember that."

She certainly didn't feel strong at the moment, but did her best in order to please her mentor.

"Are you okay, Runaan?" she asked then, wondering if she had the right to do so.

"Do not worry about me, Rayla."

Although he didn't give her an answer, the continued tone of his voice was enough to quell Rayla's concern somewhat.

"Is... Is the king..?"

She found talking helped keep her anxiety from starting back up, and even though she was breaching topics she might not have the authority to know, Rayla hoped Runaan would indulge her.

And he did.

"Yes," Runaan replied with another heavy sigh. "But not by my hand. He was already dead by the time I broke through his guards."

Rayla gasped. "So that means..!"

"Yes," he repeated. "There's a traitor within the castle. The high mage, to be exact."

There was no keeping Rayla calm now. Her breathing was erratic and heavy as she struggled helplessly with her shackles once more, ignoring the bite of the cuffs digging in to her skin.

"Then Callum and Ezran are in trouble!" she cried. "I have to..! I have to get to them!"

"Rayla, please, you'll only make things worse for yourself," Runaan's voice drifted to her once more.

"But I promised them!" she continued straining, tears now flowing uninhibited down her filthy face. "I have to help them!"

"Humans are smart, Rayla," Runaan continued to try and console, "resourceful. They can take care of themselves."

" _But they're just kids!_ " she wailed, tugging at her left shackle with her good hand, the feeling now completely gone from the former limb.

"And so are you," Runaan responded, managing to keep a level tone. "A child; filled with insurmountable fear and no way to confront it. Please," the plea was clear in his voice, "just calm down. Your friends will be okay."

"R-Runaan..." She tried to stifle her cries.

"Try and get some rest. You can't do anything from here."

Slowly, Rayla got her breathing back under control, and willed her panic to retreat back to a manageable level. Her stomach was still in turmoil, her mind still raging with horrible scenarios, yet she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She recalled the methods she had learned from Runaan years ago and followed the instructions she could hear him listing off in her head.

Calm and collected could be achieved. She could come up with a plan with careful calculating and a clear mind.

She  _had_  to come up with a plan...

* * *

 

The heavy clank of a deadbolt woke Rayla. She didn't even remember falling asleep, nor did she have any idea how much time had passed. Her eyes immediately shot to the door of her cell, but as a door creaked closed, realized it wasn't she who was getting a visitor. That left only one person.

Rayla attempted to overhear the conversation on the other side of the wall, but the hushed voices only came through as mumbles.

Minutes passed before she did hear Runaan say one thing, probably intentionally loud enough for Rayla to hear.

"I am already dead."

Rayla gulped at the implication that phrase held. It was an elvan way of life; a code of honor, more like. When threatened with death unless something specific was given up, it was said to instill confidence in oneself as they stared down their demise. It was also meant as a great insult to whoever was demanding of them, as their wishes were shown to be held to an even lower standard than death itself.

Rayla wondered what was being asked of her leader.

She didn't have to wonder long, however, as the neighboring cell slammed closed before the lock at her door was being undone. Against her will, her heart rate began to skyrocket, though she made sure to put on a brave face.

She had to be strong for Runaan.

A tall, imposing figure stepped into her cell, the sole green lantern mounted on the wall by the door making the man's features look all the more hardened.

He stopped in the middle of the room, the crude smile he bore looking even more sinister than the hunter's back in the forest.

"Well now, aren't you adorable."

Rayla growled lowly at the quip obviously meant as an insult.

The man simply chuckled as a reaction.

"I am Lord Viren," he spoke, "Lord Regent of Katolis and soon to be its king."

"Only because you murdered the real king and then placed the blame on us," Rayla snarled, her rising anger becoming dominant over any lasting fear. "All the animosity between the human kingdoms and Xadia have stemmed from  _your_  schemes!"

Viren merely sneered at the claim.

"You've got quite the attitude."

" _You've_  got quite the audacity."

Rayla wasn't sure where this surge of confidence and defiance was coming from, but as Viren chuckled once more before her, she realized it might be worth keeping up if it allowed her to keep stalling.

For what, she didn't quite know.

"I'll admit, you're much more of a delight than the deadweight next door," Viren said with a smirk.

"Must be me young and spry mind then," Rayla said next, putting emphasis on her accent in hopes to appeal to the man even more.

"Perhaps..." he muttered. He took a step forward, his presence looming ever more. "Perhaps it also means your sharp mind will know to cooperate unlike the other."

Rayla waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. Instead, he examined her, and the way his eyes roamed up and down her body caused her to shiver. Her confidence faltered. Finally, his gaze came to rest on her shoulder.

"That arm doesn't look too good, now, does it?" His face lit up in false excitement as he dramatically snapped his fingers. "How about we make a deal? Tell me what I want to know, and I'll have your arm completely healed."

"And just what do you want to know?" Rayla attempted to ask casually, though a bit of hesitancy did bleed through.

Viren smiled smugly and said, "Where are the princes and where are they headed?"

Rayla's eyes widened in fear before she could stop herself.

"W-Why do you want to know?"

Viren could sense her fear and grinned wickedly. "One reason is because it absolutely terrifies you. I find that curious, yet maddening." He knelt down on one knee before her. "What makes you so different from the rest of your kind that you would befriend— _protect_ —a human? What gives you the  _audacity_  to believe you can ever stand beside us?"

"Because I'm a person!" Rayla exclaimed, leaning forward to make herself seem more imposing as well. "Just like you!"

Before she could even blink, Viren was in her face, the first flash of actual anger passing over his face and clouding his eyes. He grabbed her chin roughly so she couldn't look away.

"Just like me? You think you're  _just like me_?" He tightened his hold on her chin until he drew a sound out of her. "You're not even human."

"And for that I'll forever be grateful," Rayla ground out with as much spite as she dared to muster.

Viren scoffed and stood. "Humans are superior to elves. They always have been and always will be. Your kind has no right to live on the same planet as us, let alone stand beside us as equals."

"This isn't about being human!" she shouted to speak over him. "This is about being a  _person_! I have a heart! A mind, a soul! I have free will. That's what makes a person, not a human or an elf."

Viren huffed before changing the subject, something Rayla counted as a small victory.

"I'm not here to wax philosophical with you. Now, tell me. Where are the princes? Where are your  _friends_?" he spat.

Taking the plunge, Rayla readied herself before confidently refuting, "You won't get anything from me."

The smile that formed on Viren's face then sickened her, but she repressed any grimace.

"Interesting," he muttered, just loud enough for Rayla to purposefully hear him. "Your friend next door offered a similar challenge."

His eyes flashed and darkened, and this time Rayla did end up huddling against the wall. He sneered down at her.

"And I know just how to retaliate."

He reached for Rayla's chains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still no Claudia yet, sorry. I was serious when I said I don't have any idea where this story is going, or what even made me start writing it in the first place. Probably my sick fascination with seeing my favorite characters hurt and in mortal peril? Just a guess. But yeah, originally this started out as just something dark with Rayla in Viren's clutches and then all of a sudden Claudia entered and I just rolled with it. Stick with me, I feel we still have a very long way to go.


	3. Chapter 3

**III.**

"I really didn't want to do this," Viren said with a bored sigh as he kicked open Runaan's cell door, "but you leave me no choice."

He dragged Rayla into the cell with his arm around her neck before harshly releasing her. Rayla quickly scurried over to her mentor. They observed each other in turn but no words passed between them.

"Really? No tearful reunion or anything?" Viren asked, though he looked as if he couldn't care less.

Both elves glared daggers at the man. Viren laughed.

"Now," he began moving his staff between the two, "who would like to go first?"

Since Runaan was still chained, Rayla swallowed her fear.

He heart for Xadia...

"I will," she said in her strongest voice and standing at her tallest.

"Rayla, no," Runaan interjected. He looked to Viren. "Touch her and I'll..."

Viren grinned. "Yes!" he cheered. "What will you do?"

Runaan clenched his jaw before looking away. Viren's smile twitched.

"I see," he said. "Let's make things easier then."

He took a single step towards the older elf before Rayla blocked his approach, shielding her leader as she stood her ground.

"I said I would make things easier," he said with a roll of his eyes. He looked over Rayla's shoulder to Runaan and added, "You can call off your attack dog."

Rayla growled and tensed as though she were indeed about to attack before Runaan stopped her.

"Stand down, Rayla."

"B-But-!" she sputtered, spinning around.

"I am already dead," he said once more, eyes boring into hers and imploring her to understand. "There is nothing more he can do to me to make me fear him."

Understanding, but not liking it, Rayla compliantly stepped aside.

"Good," Viren chirped, unlocking the shackles on Runaan's wrists. "Now then, stand, please."

Glare fixed on Viren the entire time, Runaan complied. Viren smirked this time.

"So, I believe you were threatening me?"

Despite being freed, Runaan continued to remain silent and still. Rayla nervously glanced from one man to the other.

"Come now, why don't you attack?" Viren began to taunt. "You elves claim to be a docile species, but you train young girls to be assassins," he gestured to Rayla, "and attack a kingdom without a second thought. Yet, when given the chance—the invitation—to attack, you hesitate. Why is that?"

Runaan gave nothing in return.

Viren sighed before changing his attention to Rayla.

"You," he addressed as he would a dog with snap, "answer me."

"I-I..."

"Surely you became an assassin for a reason? Or is it true that every elf is born a cold-hearted killer?" He said this as he took an imposing step towards Rayla.

Instantly, Runaan had moved in front of her, his intense stare a warning to all who saw.

Viren's eyes glinted. "So you do have a trigger." The darkest look yet settled across his face as he stared Rayla down hungrily. "Her."

All hell broke loose in a single moment. Runaan leapt towards Viren, eyes ablaze with hatred as he took the human to the ground. There was a brief struggle in which Rayla stood, too shocked to even move. Her mind was screaming at her to get in there and aid her mentor, to fight; yet her feet stayed firmly planted, her fists clenching at her sides. She had taken maybe a mere half step when Viren, restraining Runaan with his hand around the elf's neck, spun to look at her. Rayla nearly shrieked upon seeing his eyes glowing an ominous purple, devoid of any pupil. She shivered.

She soon found herself unable to do even that as Viren pointed his staff at her and mumbled in an unknown tongue, "Llits yats uoy."

Her body shook with a quick tremor before she stilled completely. Her arms went rigid at her sides, her neck craned uncomfortably up just the slightest bit as she felt the paralysis spreading. Her breath came in quick, ragged gasps as if even her lungs were becoming as paralyzed as the rest of her. As the spell continued to course through her, the ache of the stillness grew increasingly painful. When she tried to cry out, all that escaped was a mangled breath, barely making its way past her slightly parted lips.

"Rayla!" Runaan gaped in horror as he watched the dark magic possess his best pupil.

Viren then turned back to stare down at him.

"I think I've had just about enough of you," he said with a scowl.

He rose back to his full height, now incredibly grandiose to the elf that remained frozen on the floor, vacantly staring at the suspended Rayla.

"Your life is in mortal danger, yet your only concern is still for her?" Viren mocked gagging. "How sickening."

His staff clicked once against the floor as his eyes colored purple once more.

"Enim won era uoy..." he whispered.

Rayla was quite literally paralyzed with fear as a blue energy began to rise from Runaan as Viren continued to chant. The matter was seemingly being sucked into the pulsing staff that, too, was glowing. She couldn't even scream once she realized what was happening before her.

Runaan and his magic were being absorbed by the staff.

She feared this was to be her fate next, yet she could do absolutely nothing but watch and wait.

In a matter of seconds, the staff stopped glowing, Viren—who had been tense throughout the exchange—relaxed...

And Runaan was gone.

A solitary tear trailed from unblinking eyes as Rayla felt certain her heart would break, overcome with grief and its slow, heaving effort to keep beating.

With another sigh, Viren turned to face her. Upon seeing the tear, he chuckled.

"Fret not, dear," he crooned in a voice that would have Rayla gagging if she had the ability to do so. He went even further by tenderly wiping her tear away with his thumb. "You have a different fate awaiting you."

Tapping his staff against the ground once more, Rayla collapsed to the floor as the spell broke. Her body jerked over and over in a cruel spasm as all movement and feeling came flooding back.

"Y-You're a mon-monster," she stammered once she was able to, glaring up at him.

Viren smirked. "Correction," he heaved her up by her arm as he added in a near growl, "I'm a pragmatist."

Rayla simply glowered before Viren released her and she stumbled back.

"Now that you are aware of my capabilities, I trust you will go back to your cell without issue?"

"You're not going to harvest my soul as well?" she questioned bitterly as she begrudgingly followed Viren out of the now-empty cell.

"Heavens no," Viren replied, as if the idea was simply preposterous and he hadn't just done so seconds ago. "You're much more valuable to me as you are. I simply grew tired of him once I realized he would sooner become my slave than give me the information I wanted."

"Your slave..?" Rayla echoed as she obediently walked back towards the chains that would soon become her apparent home. "So he's not...dead?"

Viren grinned as he closed one of the shackles around Rayla's wrist once more. "Oh, no, he essentially is. As you so eloquently put it, his heart, mind, soul, and free will no longer exist within him. Curious how that doesn't get a rise out of you, yet any talk of our dear princes did."

Rayla was aware he was now just trying to entice a reaction out of her, so even though she had more questions, she grit her teeth and turned away as the last shackle locked into place. Viren just shrugged as he stood.

"Shame about that arm though," he said once he was at the cell door. "I'm sure your days of mindless killing are over now."

Then, with the resounding crack of the door, Rayla was plunged back into darkness; the flickering lamp on the wall her only friend.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I don't have a reason for the monumental delay... I just kinda lost all my motivation to write and I'm trying to gather it back.
> 
> Also, this is where the story really deviates from canon. Again, this chapter and the next were written before season 2 came out and even before some canon information was released from the creators like everyone's ages. So, there's some creative liberties taken here on out.
> 
> On a different note, Claudia finally makes her debut! Now we can really get this party started!

**IV.**

 

She had no idea how much time had passed before the jangle of the deadbolt had her flickering back into consciousness. All she knew for certain was that she was starving, and she no longer had any feeling whatsoever in her left arm.

Rayla blinked open weary eyes as she tried to make out her newest visitor.

"Father was right," the newcomer said in awe just loud enough for Rayla to hear. "It really is you."

As the figure stepped fully into the cell, the lantern illuminated them and recognition instantly had Rayla baring her teeth.

"Come to sic your smoke wolves on me again?"

She inwardly cringed at how dry and pathetic she sounded, though she supposed it matched how weak she physically felt.

Rayla was surprised then, however, when a nervous chuckle was the response and not some kind of punishment for speaking out.

"Uh, yeah... Turns out I...kind of owe you an apology?"

Rayla could only gape dumbly. "W-What?"

There was another small chuckle.

"You heard that right. I'm sorry...for painting you as the villain simply because of what you are."

They took another step forward and Rayla instinctively shrunk back. This was the same girl from the night she had fled the castle with Callum, Ezran, and the egg, wasn't it? What had Callum called her? Claudia? What was going on?

"I'm...confused," Rayla mumbled, watching on edge as Claudia moved until she was inches from Rayla before sitting down casually in front of her.

The other girl smiled sympathetically at her. This time, Rayla couldn't detect any malice. Still, she remained skeptical.

"Turns out father's been lying to Soren and me for years. He's been lying to the entire kingdom!"

Rayla couldn't help rolling her eyes or keep her snark at bay as she replied, "And you're just now figuring that out?"

Claudia shot her a glare, but it was half-hearted as a sigh quickly followed it.

"I didn't want it to be true," she mumbled sadly. "I always had this gut feeling that something wasn't right. But...I never thought he'd actually kill the king! They were longtime friends!"

"Amazing how power can corrupt a person," Rayla said, her tone level as she continued to analyze every movement from the girl in front of her.

"I can't believe I fell for his ruse for so long. I can't believe I let him teach me dark magic! I mean, was that not enough of a hint? The word 'dark' is right there in the name!"

Rayla blinked as Claudia rambled. Was this girl for real?

Eventually, she butted in with, "Look, I get the whole identity crisis thing, but why are you here?"

Cheeks flushing with embarrassment, Claudia wouldn't look at her as she replied in a shamed mumble, "I need your help."

Probably due to a combination of lack of food, dehydration, and the phantom feeling of her left arm, Rayla merely blinked once more and hollowly echoed, "Help?"

"Father's sent men after Callum and Ezran in order to steal back the egg. Now, knowing my father's intentions, I don't think they're safe."

"So we can actually see eye to eye on something," Rayla mumbled herself, smirking as Claudia gave her a 'don't-test-me' look.

With a huff, Claudia rose.

"I'm going to go look for the key to those shackles, and...maybe some food as well." She looked away briefly before hesitantly meeting Rayla's eyes again. "I take it...you wouldn't allow me to heal your arm with my magic?"

" _No_ ," Rayla firmly replied. Even with Claudia's seeming change of heart—even with the  _pain_ —she wouldn't stoop so low as to accept dark magic. It would disgrace her people, be a permanent reminder that when she failed to bottle her pain, she turned to the one thing from the one group of people she was taught to scorn from day one.

"Okay, fine," Claudia resigned, hands raised as she backed towards the door. "I'll be right back then."

Rayla said nothing as the human left. There wasn't much she could do still chained to the wall, so she turned inward to her thoughts.

Particularly, to Claudia.

The fact that she was Viren's daughter alone was enough to keep Rayla from trusting her. Sure, she seemed to be out of the loop in regard to the mage's plans, but who could say for certain? It could all be some elaborate plan to get Rayla to lower her defenses. Claudia seemed to be a bit of an airhead, or at the very least, genuine with her feelings, but could all that be a ploy?

"You scowl when you think."

Rayla blinked, and Claudia was kneeling before her yet again.

"What?"

The girl chuckled and repeated, "You scowl when you think; and I'm pretty sure you're thinking how you can possibly trust me since I'm a human, right?"

Rayla chuckled herself, noticing the way Claudia's lips twitched into a smile as she did so. "You're not wrong."

"Well, if it helps, I trust you." That genuineness was back, and Rayla didn't know what to think. Claudia sent her a silly, nervous look as she added in a fumble, "You know, since I'm freeing you and all, even though you're an elf, and everything I've ever learned preached to never,  _ever_  trust an elf."

Rayla held her gaze before Claudia looked away and to Rayla's now nearly purple arm. She watched the girl frown and wondered what was going through Claudia's head then.

"But, Callum and Ezran trusted you enough to ignore me that night you ran away," Claudia carried on, her eyes getting a far off look in them as she continued staring at Rayla's arm as if it was the source of her recollections. "And obviously you had been protecting them since then. I still don't get how you all came to trust each other so fast, but...you have a heart."

Having been released from her shackles as Claudia rambled some more, Rayla scoffed and stood on shaky feet. She tried to achieve her tallest height, although she still ended up several inches shorter than Claudia.

"'Course I have a heart," she snapped, glaring at the human. "You think elves-?"

"No, no!" Claudia jumped in, eyes alert now and frantic as she tried to fix her slipup. "I mean, I know about the oath you took; the binding on your arm. I did some research after seeing your leader's fall off once..."

Rayla waited as Claudia fell silent; waited to see if the king's death would once again be blamed on her, or if Claudia could accept the harsh truth of her father's actions.

Instead, she simply skipped ahead. "The other binding is for Callum or Ezran, right?" She looked to Rayla for confirmation. "You initially came here to kill the king and one of the princes?"

Rayla bowed her head and mumbled, "Ezran."

"But you didn't. Why?"

Helplessly, and with a sigh, Rayla shrugged.

"Because he's...just a kid," she answered truthfully. "He played no part in all this hate. We were going to kill him based on what? The off chance he'd grow up to become a ruthless ruler and get revenge on ancestors he never knew? That's not Ez, he... He doesn't care what makes people different. He... He was the first to ever accept me as I am. I truly believe he never once saw me as an elf; as the enemy."

Claudia was grinning the more glazed over Rayla's eyes became. Yet, there was a pang of guilt in her gut, surely what Rayla was also experiencing at that very moment. Just mere nights ago, Claudia had been ready to strike this elf down, certain she was going to harm the princes. Yet when she had threatened Callum and Ezran to come with her, Rayla had immediately stepped up to protect them after knowing them only for how long: an hour?

Claudia was quickly learning things were not as black and white as her father and most of humankind made it out to be.

"How's your arm?" she asked after some time of watching Rayla absentmindedly rub it, calling the elf back from wherever she had gone.

Claudia watched the light return to those peculiar purple eyes. Rayla seemed caught off guard a bit as her cheeks flushed slightly and she looked to the ground, her good arm snapping back to her side.

"It's, uh... It's fine," she mumbled in a rush. "I've had worse."

Claudia arched one eyebrow curiously. "Is there a story behind that? We do have quite the journey to catch up to the princes, you know." She held the door open for Rayla who, somewhat surprisingly, walked through with no qualms.

"I'm not much of a storyteller," the elf replied with a weak one-shoulder shrug.

Claudia simply smirked as she shouldered a bag and fell into step with Rayla. "Everyone starts somewhere."

* * *

"If you don't stop rubbing that arm of yours, I'm going to heal it in your sleep."

"I'd like to see you try."

It had been a full 24 hours since Rayla and Claudia had headed out. In those hours, the two had forged a kind of amicable truce. Rayla had still slept with her blades extended and within arm's reach the first night, but upon waking up to a pre-made breakfast from Claudia, struggled with guilt the rest of the day.

This human girl's affect on her heart was so similar to that of the princes. Rayla frowned.

It was annoying.

"Well excuse me if I'm tired of hearing you whimper throughout the night."

They had also started this bizarre power play through sarcasm somehow. Rayla still wasn't quite sure what was up with that.

"I don't whimper..."

Claudia rolled her eyes. "Says the girl who's  _not_  kept up all night from said whimpers."

Rayla shot her a glare, albeit not one with much effort. Claudia returned the look with a smirk before her features softened and she looked somberly back at the topic of their current conversation.

"Seriously though, Rayla," she spoke, a poorly disguised plea in her voice, "let me heal you. Please?"

Rayla had stopped walking at the sound of her name. She wasn't even aware Claudia  _knew_  her name or when she had possibly learned it, let alone that she would actually choose to use it.

"Why are you so intent on healing me?" Rayla asked. "It's not like you did this to me."

"But I could have," was Claudia's immediate response. "The bite my wolves left may have healed fine, but back then... I likely would have fired an arrow at you myself had I had one at that moment." She sighed. "I guess it just reminds me of what kind of person I am— _was_."

"I don't even know if this binding  _will_  come off with dark magic," Rayla told her then, staring forlornly at her arm that had become a painful-looking purple and was essentially dead weight at this point.

"Let me try," Claudia begged once more. "At least let me heal your wound. I know I  _am_ capable of that."

There was silence for a moment before Rayla looked Claudia in the eyes and mumbled, "Will it hurt?"

Claudia could have made a sharp jab at the elf's expense then, but upon seeing the anxiety flashing in purple eyes, she simply smiled.

"I promise it won't." Laughing, she added, "I've had to heal Soren  _plenty_  of times and he's never complained being the big baby he is."

A small smile flashed across Rayla's face before she led them over to a tree with thick roots they could sit on.

"Very well," she conceded, plopping down on one of the roots. "I've already traveled with multiple humans, I suppose I can't shame my kind any more than I already have." She looked back to Claudia who was still standing and didn't even try to hold back any uncertainty as she repeated, "But  _only_  my shoulder."

Claudia nodded, a softer smile still on her face. "You have my word."

Another flicker of a smile and Rayla mirrored the nod.

"But if I hear any more whining tonight," Claudia began in her joking tone again, "I'm getting that bracelet off."

"We'll see," Rayla retorted with a small laugh.

Claudia moved to sit on Rayla's left side and pulled her backpack into her lap. Rayla watched her rummage around from her peripherals, trying to seem a lot more disinterested than she really was. When Claudia started muddling leaves together with a beetle, however, Rayla broke and looked.

"Uh, I don't think I like the look of that."

"Afraid of bugs, are we?" Claudia smirked though she didn't look away from her work.

"No!" Rayla decried, which caused Claudia to snort in turn. "I'm just not keen on interacting with their guts in any way!"

"Do you want that gaping hole in your shoulder closed or not?"

At Rayla's uncertain look, Claudia mellowed again with a soft sigh.

"Look, Rayla, it's nothing bad," she said, using the elf's name again. "This beetle has incredibly powerful healing properties if harvested the right way. Unfortunately, that way involves dark magic and guts."

"Naturally," Rayla retorted, looking away with a pout. She missed the nearly affectionate smile Claudia sent her way.

"Are you ready?"

Rayla looked to Claudia's fingers which were coated in a blue, sticky substance. Grimacing only slightly, she tensed and looked away again. "Just do it," she grunted, closing her eyes in anticipation.

Hesitating only a moment, Claudia carefully touched her fingers to Rayla's wound. A full body shiver ran through the elf.

"Did that hurt?" Claudia asked, not trying to hide any concern in her tone.

Rayla remained quiet as she shook her head, and Claudia grinned as she watched the tips of the elf's ears turn pink, clashing prominently with her stark-white hair.

 _Cute_ , she thought.

"One last step." She closed her eyes to begin channeling her magic. Her touch lingered as she uttered, " _Em rof laeh..._ "

The medicine on Claudia's fingers glowed blue as it transferred from her to Rayla. Rayla gasped sharply as her shoulder flared with pain briefly before a wonderful soothing sensation took over. Wide eyes opened to observe the magic taking place—purposefully ignoring the purple eyes which glowed beside her— and Claudia smiled at the awe in Rayla's expression. They both continued to watch the wound close in on itself until all that was left was flawless—yet still purple—skin.

"See?" Claudia piped up once the last of the magic had been absorbed and faded, a genuine smile on her face as she looked to Rayla. "Not too dark, right?"

Still blinking at where her wound once was, Rayla simply uttered, "Y-Yeah..."

Giggling slightly, Claudia followed up with, "Are you okay?"

Finally, Rayla aggressively shook her head, her stoic preset taking its place once more.

"Yeah," she repeated. "Thank you."

Then she hurriedly got up and started walking off.

"We should keep moving."

Rolling her eyes once more, Claudia packed the unused ingredients back in her bag before following after.

"Whatever you say..."

* * *

Two more days passed with little excitement. Apparently Rayla had been keeping quiet at night, for Claudia's teasing had ceased at least momentarily. While Rayla was grateful for the relief, things had also become a tad awkward between them ever since Claudia had healed her shoulder. Conversations were stilted; even their sarcastic banter now felt scripted.

It wasn't really any fault of Claudia's, Rayla had reluctantly admitted to herself the previous night. The human still had the same bright, nearly infectious energy about her, and to her credit, she was trying her best to be friendly to Rayla. It was the elf that was...trying to deflect any attempt at being cooperative.

Rayla hated everything about this. Had she not gotten captured, she'd still be with Callum and Ezran on their way to Xadia. How come things had come so much easier with them? Sure, she and Callum had butted heads several times, but things hadn't even been awkward between them the night they fled the castle. And Rayla had tried to  _kill_  Callum then.

Hadn't it been Rayla herself who had compared Claudia to Callum and Ezran just a few days ago? What had changed? And why?

A brief memory flashed in Rayla's mind; the memory of a soft touch and an intense shiver. Rayla shook her head angrily to dispel the thought and the blush she could feel building. Glancing over her shoulder briefly, she saw Claudia busy writing something down in a small book. At least she hadn't seen...whatever that just was.

When the silence finally became too stifling, Rayla gradually slowed her pace until the two were nearly walking side by side. She tried to steal a look at whatever Claudia was so focused on, but all she could make out were letters that didn't form any words she was familiar with, so she gave up on that.

Rayla chewed on her lip momentarily before she sucked in a big breath.

"So," she started with an awkward cough, "have...you known the princes their whole lives?"

If Claudia was taken aback by Rayla's sudden desire for conversation, she didn't show it.

"Ezran, yes. Callum, no," she answered, not even bothering to look up from her book. Rayla figured she was now understandably on the receiving end of a cold shoulder.

"Is there...a story behind that?" she tried next, hoping using Claudia's own words against her would at least instill a reaction out of her.

" _Now_  you want to talk?" Claudia said almost exasperatedly as she shut her book with a snap.

She didn't seem angry, but Rayla was uncertain how to continue. So, she just ended up bowing her head in preparation to apologize.

Claudia beat her to it.

"Look," the girl sighed, "I'm sorry. I just... I thought we were doing pretty well together. All our previous banter reminded me of how I act around Soren and I was enjoying it. Then I healed you and you just...shut down." Now Claudia looked unsure as she stepped up next to Rayla to try and get a look at the elf's face. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No!" Rayla instantly replied louder than she intended. She blushed again and wanted to ram herself into the nearest tree and hope her horns stuck her there. "I'm just...bad at this."

Claudia blinked. "At talking?"

Rayla managed a brief smile at that.

"In a way," she replied. "I've never been good at...making friends. Even with other elves I could never really carry a conversation, let alone start one."

"You were doing a pretty good job up to that point, if you ask me."

Rayla looked to Claudia with what had to be an amusing look of shock with the way it had Claudia laughing.

"I mean, I get the whole sarcasm as a defense mechanism, but it was still  _something_ ," she continued. "I was happy to go along with it if got you to come out of your shell. I know I'm a human and you're an elf, and that automatically puts a barrier between us, but I don't want there to be. You're obviously  _nothing_  like the stories say, and I'm sure the same can be said for the rest of your kind."

Finding it deep within herself, Rayla cleared her throat and quipped, "I don't know if I can say the same about you humans, given the warm hospitality I was initially given."

Claudia chuckled nervously as it was now her who looked to the ground. "Heh, yeah..." Her eyes held all the apology Rayla needed, but she still finished with, "I'm sorry for the way my father treated you."

Rayla tried to wave it off in hopes to keep things rolling and lighthearted. "I've already forgotten about it."

Claudia looked like she wasn't quite ready to let the particular subject drop, but she remained silent, instead looking back at the ground with a look of consternation. Rayla watched her for a moment before trying her icebreaker once again.

"So," she repeated with a lighter tone and actual interest this time, "Callum and Ezran?"

Claudia met her eyes and the two shared a quick smile before Claudia stared ahead of them and prepared her tale.

"Well, to start, Soren and I aren't actually Viren's children. We are real siblings, but that's the extent of the truth." With another glance at Rayla to find the elf listening intently, she carried on. "Tensions had always been high between humans and Xadians, I'm sure you know. Father... _Viren_  said it had something to do with the creation of dark magic; that's why humans were forced to leave."

"Because dark magic is unnatural," Rayla added. She wasn't using an accusatory tone, just an informative one. "Xadia has magic; real,  _beautiful_  magic. But what humans created...it was an atrocity; it threatened any and all magical beings. We weren't respected or seen as living things anymore, merely a vessel to aide humans."

Claudia swallowed another knot of guilt and Rayla noticed.

"S-Sorry," the elf mumbled. "I... I didn't mean..."

"It's okay," Claudia replied with a hesitant, but soft smile. "Everyone was affected by the divide." Her smile turned playful once more as she nudged Rayla's shoulder gently, startling the elf. "But back to my story..."

"A-Ah, y-yes... Sorry," Rayla muttered again.

Claudia just muffled a laugh behind her hand before getting back on track.

"Apparently the dragon king wasn't the first dragon slain by humans, because the day after a similar attack, the people of Xadia charged on humans. Soren and I were orphans in a small village right on the edge of the breach. We were hit first. We were only six years old; we were terrified. I remember hiding behind this stack of barrels with Soren when this dragon landed nearby and caused the barrels to fall over and expose our hiding place. It turned to us and I still remember the look of absolute  _hatred_  in its eyes. Fire built in its maw, but before it could release...it was gone."

"What do you mean 'gone?'"

Claudia shrugged, her brows furrowed as she worked to recall the memory.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "All I know is that the dragon was gone and Viren was standing before us with an outstretched hand. He...took us home with him and adopted us, I guess. Nothing was ever explicitly stated; one day he just started referring to us as his children and we went along with it. I mean, where else would we have gone?"

"And no one in the castle questioned it?" Rayla balked incredulously. "The guy suddenly has kids and no one bats an eye?"

Claudia chuckled. "The castle staff was always a bit fearful of him. I don't know if they were aware of his powers or not, but...we were welcomed without issue. The king and queen were informed, and that was that."

"You knew the queen?"

"Only because Callum followed me around everywhere I went and was always giving his mom quite the scare with his sudden disappearances." Both girls shared a laugh at the conjured image of the little prince waddling after Claudia. "Even at four years old he liked me, and that crush just never faded."

"And what about Ez?"

"He was born about a month after Soren and I arrived. Then Queen Sarai died in a battle a few years later and...the rest is history."

Rayla looked down at their moving feet for a moment before looking back to Claudia.

"When did you...start learning magic? Does your brother know too?"

"Woah, woah there, elf," Claudia intercepted with a coy tone. "Don't you think it's  _my_  turn to ask some questions?"

It seemed only then Rayla realized how forward she must have been and she begrudgingly felt her cheeks flare up again.

"S-Sorry," she stammered. This was why she didn't have many friends. "I-I wasn't thinking-."

"Rayla!" Claudia jumped in with a laugh before Rayla got going, having noticed using the elf's name tended to throw her off. "I'm teasing. Partly. If I hadn't wanted to tell you something I would have said so. But..." Now it was she who seemed embarrassed. "I would like to know more about  _you_."

Rayla blinked. "Uh... O-Okay?"

Before she could think about what she could possibly reveal, however, a twig snapping in the distance instantly had her distracted and on high alert. Her eyes flashed and hardened and she reached for one of her blades with her good hand. Claudia noticed.

"What's-?"

"Shush," Rayla snapped in a whisper. When no immediate threat appeared, she closed her eyes to focus on her surroundings before addressing Claudia. "I hear horses. We may have been followed."

Claudia's eyes came alive with fear as they widened imperceptibly.

"Father," she said on a breath. "He must have found out you went missing."

"Would he suspect you?" Rayla asked, concern bleeding into her voice.

"I-I don't know," she mumbled. The fear was palpable now, and Rayla decided then and there that she didn't like Claudia sounding scared. "If anything, he'll probably assume you kidnapped me like he thinks you did the princes."

Rayla looked contemplative for all of a second before determination set in.

"You stay here," she said firmly. "I'm going to see how many of them there are and if I can overhear their route or something."

"Wait, are you crazy?!" Claudia cried. "What if they spot you?"

Smirking, Rayla threw up her hood.

"They won't."

And then she was up in the trees.

"Rayla, wait!"

Surprised at the call, Rayla turned and lowered her hood to acknowledge Claudia. She was even more taken aback by the worried look in the human's eyes. Hoping the distance concealed what had to be her umpteenth blush, Rayla swallowed before addressing her in the most confident voice she could muster.

"I'll be right back."

A narrowed green met hesitant purple in a wavering gaze.

Rayla swallowed again against a suddenly dry throat.

"I promise."

Then she quickly turned and leapt away, donning her hood once more. Claudia stared after her with a sigh and the most peculiar feeling in her gut.

"You better..."


End file.
